The desire to reduce automotive fuel consumption and emissions is well documented. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
A high voltage battery pack typically powers the electric machines and other electrical loads of the electrified vehicle. The battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells that store energy for powering these electrical loads. The battery cells release heat during charging and discharging operations. It is often desirable to dissipate this heat from the battery pack to improve capacity and life of the battery cells. Heat exchanger plates, often referred to as “cold plates,” may be used for this purpose. Gaps between the battery cells and the heat exchanger plate can reduce the thermal effectiveness of the heat exchanger plate.